[pct-l] shoes

[dsaufley at sprynet.com]

I pondered shoe selection more than any other choice, and finally reached a compromise.  I hiked the majority of the KM to YV stretch in my Chacos, which absolutely rocked (for me).  But I also brought my Merrill Vibrams.  

The sandals, which are adjustable and designed for hiking, were so comfortable and practical for the countless water crossings.  They molded to my foot providing perfect support, great cushion for the downhill pounding, and zero friction points.  I wore socks, too. 

I swapped out to my boots for anything that was "hairy" to me, like vertical exposure on intimidating passes, and long stretches of snow.  They were not as comfortable and caused my only blister, but they kept my toes warmer and for some reason gave me a greater sense of security mentally (when at times I needed some extra courage).

The extra weight was worth it to me.  I considered the boots a tool, like you might think of an ice axe. They were a part of my strategy for the snow. I did not carry an axe, and used my trekking poles instead, shortened and sans baskets.  Ultralight is great, but I'm a fan for gearing-up to meet the conditions you might face.  With the mix of the conditions that were out there this year, the mix of the footwear made sense to me.  

All that said, I consider footware one of the most individualistic of choices, and there is no one right way.  You have to find what works for you, through trial and error.

L-Rod



-----Original Message-----
>From: Carl & Judy Rush <elisenme2 at gmail.com>
>Sent: Nov 17, 2006 6:53 PM
>To: matthew lesniewicz <mlesswicz at yahoo.com>
>Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] shoes
>
>IMHO, boots are not a good choice for this trail. You need something well
>ventilated for the desert, preferably white or at least a lite color as not
>to absorb to much heat from the sun, and a shoe that will dry fast when wet
>and it will get wet. My 4 point crampons fit well on my NB shoes, but we
>won't know until April if we will even need crampons or ice axes.
>Carl
>
>
>On 11/17/06, matthew lesniewicz <mlesswicz at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> in regards to boots or trail shoes, I undestand the concept and benifits
>> of wearing shoes with in mind carrying a lighter pack, lacking the needed
>> ankle support. Ultimately it comes down to what works for the individual.
>> I've always worn boots for my hiking experience, but thinking about finding
>> a shoe, probably use both throughout.My question is, do people actually
>> wear shoes when they hit the snow fields early on and do they use crampons
>> with there shoes? That's another thing, whats the reality of crampons and
>> ice ax? What about substituting ax for trek poles,or is that just
>> ridiculous. It probably varys season to season and at what time you arive.
>> I'm begining my research and don't own any of the books. Are the ones on
>> pcta.org the essentials and the best way to start?
>>
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